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Construction began on the new Our Lady of Perpetual Help church on March 1, 1970. Rev. Elmer J. Toups, pastor dug the first hole at the ground breaking ceremony which fulfilled a 16 year dream. The church cost just under $200,000 and was completed in approximately six months. The church had a seating capacity of 700. |
| The church was designed by Architect James Gibson of Gibson and Martin Architects. Mr Gibson died in the middle of the project. Construction was completed under the supervision of William O'Connel, of the O'Connel and Probst Architects from Austin Texas. The concrete slab was poured in one day and contained 347 yards of cement. |
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The church was constructed of a combination of brick, steel and laminated wood beams. Here the east side of the church is under construction which will eventually become the church sacresty. |
| Inside, laminated wooden beams are lifted and bolted at the apex to form the main isle down the center of the church. This wooden stucture was strong enough to withstand the pounding winds from Hurricane Celia, a category 3 hurricane, which struck in August of 1970. |
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| The church parking lot was build to hold 200 automobiles. |
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The Church was blessed at 4:00 PM on April 18, 1971. Bishop Thomas Drury, assisted by many priests and lay people, first blessed the altar, tabernacle and then proceeded with the solemn dedication mass. |
| The beautiful alter was laid in red carpet and the back walls were covered by polished wood panels. |
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Hurricane Celia caused some minor surface damage. Some shingles were lost and the exterior ceramic water fountain was shattered. The restory suffered interior water damage. It took a few month to get the repairs done because construction crews were busy repairing the rest of the city. Praise be to God that our church withstood this devastating hurricane. |
